“He’ll probably be very pleased with you. Likes the slender but shapely type. Not approving of Joy.”
I couldn’t help smiling at that. “Well that’s because a lot of blokes like to be able to hold what they can see.”
His expression became all bad-boyish and spoke of utter mischief. “I’d certainly like to hold what I can see right now.” He brushed my hair over my shoulder and leant over to my ear. “Sam,” he breathed. “You know you want this.”
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I rose and took a step to the side so that I was standing in front of the neighbouring seat, taunting him more than anything else. He left his chair and advanced toward me, perching one butt cheek on the table.
Grinning, he held up his index finger. “Now that is something you can’t do tomorrow night. You’ll be posing as my consort; no one will believe that if you’re shifting away from me. Speaking of, you know consort decorum, right?”
I groaned and rolled my eyes. “I was Victor’s for three years, what do you think?”
“I know, but that was when you were travelling in lower class circles. This gathering will be full of the big boys, there’s a certain standard they expect. Number one: you cannot leave my side without asking permission. Where I go, you follow. Number two: you don’t speak to anyone unless they speak to you first. They’ll speak about you to me, that’s different. Unless they address you, you keep zipped. Number three: you don’t argue with anything at all that I say. I know that goes against your very nature, but you have to be a good girl.”
I groaned. “All that is going to kill me.”
“I should warn you and your feisty little self now that you should expect them to speak about you. You’re a Sventé vampire. Me bringing a Sventé as my consort is like the president taking his servant to a royal gathering.”
“Oh really? Well I think you’ll be very surprised by their response.”
“In what way?”
“Just because Kejas and Pagoris rarely associate with Sventés because of their prejudiced view that we’re apparently more human than vampire, don’t expect them to frown upon my presence. They’ll be just as curious as you are about being having me bite them.”
He gave me a doubtful look.
“Trust me. At least one will ask if you like to have exclusive rights to my saliva because they’ll want a sample, you’ll see.”
His gaze was hot again, and the heat was contagious. My self-consciousness under his glare had long ago subsided as my desire grew. Those sensual lips and those masterful hands brought plenty of memories – really good ones – to the forefront of my mind. This was not good while he was so close.
“Can I claim those rights now?” He leant toward me. I took a step backwards but he took my wrist and tugged me lightly to him. Not up close to him. He was just stopping me from getting away.
I swallowed. “No, and you won’t be claiming them tomorrow night either. You’re going to promise me now that you won’t try to take advantage of the situation that I have to do what you say.”
His smile widened. “Don’t worry, I won’t. Know why? For the same reason that I’m not running my hands all over you right now. I’m not interested in doing anything to you that you don’t first say you want me to do. When we have sex – and we will, Sam – it won’t be because I seduced you, it’ll be because you’ve finally admitted that you want it. That’s why I didn’t want us to do anything last night. It wasn’t really me you wanted, and you’d have just said afterwards that you weren’t thinking straight at the time because of what had happened outside the bar.”
I didn’t argue. I would’ve done that. The truth was that last night I did want comfort. He gave it to me by holding me, but I’d wanted more. I’d wanted to know just how good he could make me feel. Once my head was clear I probably would have browbeat myself for shagging a bloke who collected women like they were coupons.
He slowly brought his face to mine but didn’t kiss me. The red rings of his irises were glowing. “Why do you fight it so hard, Sam?” His voice was no more than a throaty whisper.#p#分页标题#e#
“You know why,” I whispered.
“I’ll get rid of them. All of them. Just say the word and they’re gone. You’re all I want.”
Taken aback, I studied his face searching for some indication that he was either joking or lying. But there was no deception or humour there, and I could sense nothing but honesty coming from him. “You’ll get rid of your consorts? Just like that?” There was pure disbelief dripping from the words.